Througout the whole novel of passing I'm feeling a resentment from Clare Kendry to Irene Redfield. Clare seemed too inlove with herself. I think she wishes she was more like Irene. Even though Clare has more money I think she wants to be noticed for her roots.
Irene married a black man. She has a father unlike Clare. Her upbringing was better and Irene never had to hide a secret. She knew exactly who she was.
Larsen portrayed Clare as a complete opposite of other writers that we have read. Take for instance McKay. He was constantly longing to go back to his roots. Deep down I think this is what Clare wanted. She resented Irene for staying with her roots. That is why she was so insistant on making her go to her tea parties. Thats why it was soo important for her to meet her husband. Clare was showing off that she was so white and pure that even her husband could call her "Nig" without anybody being the wiser.
Irene made me think a lot about Johnson. They both seem to pass only when it is convient for them. They like to think of their race as a shock value. That society would be shocked to know if they were white or black.
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I wasn't really thinking about this while I was reading, but your post makes sense and I agree that Clare is jealous of Irene and her life. I do feel as if Clare wants to get back to her roots and this is why she annoys Irene about going to the N.W.L dance.
When I'm reading I don't think about past stories that we've read in class, which I guess I should be doing. But after reading your post I do agree with Irene and Johnson being similar and only passing when they need to. I haven't finished the novel, but I wonder if Clare is going to start only passing when she needs to and if her husband is going to find out the truth. I really hope he does. I would like to see a character change with Clare.
I picked up on that as well. Clare definately feels resentment towardf Irene, she almost wants to make Irene jealous at times I think becuase Clare herself is jelous of Irene. They have a very complex relationship. Im not sure I understand it fully yet.
I also compared Irene, and the entire novel, to The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. There are many similarities in Passing that can also be seen in Autobiography. For instance, I feel as if both novels are portraying the loneliness and questioning of oneself through the concept of passing.
I am beginning to think that Clare does not really know what she wants. So now she essentially has the best of both worlds. She passes with her white husband and lives a white life, but now since she is shoving her way into Irene’s life she has the opportunity to explore her black roots and live a black life. Of course, only when she wants to though.
I think that Clare really does not want to live as a black women, she simply wants the convenience of being able to mingle with her crowd, but without the hassles that all the “true” black men and women have to endure on a daily basis.
I agree with the fact that Clare's upbringing was completely different than that of Irene's childhood. I think there is resentment from Clare to Irene but I also think it goes the other way as well. I feel bad for Irene because in the scene with Clare's husband, she couldn't stand up for her life and what she believes in. She had to sit and listen to the racial slurs given by the husband which leads me to think that Irene resents Clare and her choices as well.
I think that clare wants both sides of teh world black adn white. she wants white because of the privelege and black becuase of her roots. Like when she wants to go to the NWL i think that she wants to see that side of hersel that she preety much hsa left behind.
When i read the novel i also thought about johnson. He was only passing when he needed to just like irene.That are both use it to their advantage but both unsure about it.
You bring up some good points. The novel seems to have some interesting thoughts on the concept of passing. For Clare, passing gets her access to greater social circles and rights. However, she has to put up with a racist husband. She also yearns to reconnect to the black community and lead a life closer to that of Irene's.
Clare is very different than characters we have seen in the other novel. Maybe it’s because this was written by a women, maybe this is just the kind of novel that needs a sort of ‘villain.” However, I think Larsen wants to be sort of sympatric for Clare. If this is a morality play I think the point of the story is if you aren’t true to yourself, you will never be happy, regardless of where you are or what you’ve got.
I think that you are correct when you say that deep down Clare wanted to return to her roots. She had to completely turn her back on her heritage in order to fit in with her life with her husband. She couldn't associate with any of her old friends or family because her husband would have found out her secret. She misses her old life so much that she begins sneaking around. I think she really wants to return to her old life but at this point it is impossible.
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